Lindsey Vonn’s Road to Recovery After Olympic Crash

In a recent update following her serious crash at the Milan Cortina Olympics, renowned skier Lindsey Vonn has shared insights into her recovery journey through a post on social media. In the Instagram post on Wednesday, Vonn disclosed that she underwent her third surgery and deemed it successful.

“I had my 3rd surgery today and it was successful. Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago,” Vonn shared with her followers, adding, “I’m making progress and while it is slow, I know I’ll be okay.”

The 41-year-old, celebrated for her remarkable skiing achievements, was participating in the Alpine women’s downhill event on Sunday when she unfortunately collided with a pole and crashed, only seconds into her run. The impact was so severe that Vonn was heard screaming in agony, necessitating an airlift from the course.

A photo shared by Vonn depicted her left leg encased in an external fixator – a device used to stabilize bones and control swelling. Remarkably, Vonn was competing in the Olympics despite having torn her ACL at a World Cup event earlier that year.

Expressing her heartfelt gratitude, Vonn thanked the medical personnel, her friends and family, as well as the worldwide community that has shown overwhelming support. “Thankful for all of the incredible medical staff, friends, family, who have been by my side and the beautiful outpouring of love and support from people around the world,” Vonn expressed. “Also, huge congrats to my teammates and all of the Team USA athletes who are out there inspiring me and giving me something to cheer for.”

Lindsey Vonn’s name is synonymous with excellence in skiing. With 84 World Cup victories, she trails only fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin. Her Olympic feats include three medals, one of which is gold. However, her illustrious career has not been without challenges.

Over the years, injuries have taken a toll on Vonn. In 2013, a crash at the World Championships resulted in tears to her ACL and MCL and a fractured right leg. These injuries recurred later that year, causing her to miss the 2014 Winter Olympics. The obstacles continued with a broken ankle in 2015 in New Zealand and subsequent fractures in early 2016.

“She’s 41 years old, and this is the end of her career,” her father, Alan Kildow, shared following her recent injury. “There will be no more ski races for Lindsey Vonn as long as I have anything to say about it.”

Despite retiring in 2019, Vonn announced a comeback to skiing after knee replacement surgery in April 2024. Her determination remains inspiring, even as discussions regarding her retirement continue.

Rohan Nadkarni, who covers sports for NBC News, reported on this development.